An egomaniac goes on an obsessive revenge tour to heal his bruised ego, in the process destroying himself and the entire community that he is supposed to lead and protect. In a way, “Moby Dick” is a perfect story for our times, especially given what has transpired in the past six weeks. It also connects perfectly with an incident that {…}
Opera Parallèle has announced details for its benefit evening, “In Pursuit of a Dream: A 15th Anniversary Celebration Honoring Composer Jake Heggie.” The event will be held on March 27 at the City Club of San Francisco and will feature legendary mezzo-sopranos Susan Graham and Frederica von Stade along with other artists. They will perform a program of musical selections {…}
The winners of the 64th annual Musical America Artist of the Year Awards have been announced. Conductor and soprano Barbara Hannigan has been named Artist of the Year for 2025. Hannigan made her conducting debut at age 40 at the Chatelet in Paris. She currently serves as the Principal Guest Conductor of Göteborgs Symfoniker, the Principal Guest Conductor of Orchester {…}
(Photo credit: Curtis Perry) Baritone Joshua Hopkins and Yannick Nézet-Séguin give the U.S. orchestral premiere of Jake Heggie and Margaret Atwood’s “Songs for Murdered Sisters.” Hopkins’ sister, Nathalie Warmerdam, was one of the victims in one of Canada’s worst cases of domestic violence. Since Warmerdam’s murder in 2015, Hopkins has since set out on a journey to use his voice {…}
OPERA America named seven exemplary artists, administrators, and advocates to the Opera Hall of Fame as the class of 2024. The 2024 Opera Hall of Fame inductees are: Adele Addison, soprano and teacher Justino Díaz, bass-baritone and teacher Jake Heggie, composer and mentor Carol F. Henry, founding trustee and philanthropist Wayne Sanders, artist, pianist, and arts leader Sarah Billinghurst Solomon, {…}
Classical Pride has announced its five-day festival for Pride 2024. Tenor Nicky Spence and “RuPaul’s Drag Race’s” Monet X Change and Thorgy Thor, among other queens, kick off the celebration with “Classical Drag.” This crossover event features drag performances of arias from “Carmen,” “Turandot,” “Tosca,” and more. Following this, the Fourth Choir, conducted by Nicholas Chalmers presents works by Benjamin {…}
San Francisco Performances has announced its 2024-25 season. This article features vocal pieces only. For the company’s 45th Anniversary Gala tenor Nicholas Phan and composer and pianist Jake Heggie take the stage. Performance Date: October 4, 2024 Tenor Karim Sulayman and guitarist Sean Shibe will present works from their album “Broken Branches.” Performance Date: October 12, 2024 Opening the “Art {…}
(Photo credit: Jiyang Chen) In celebration of its 25th anniversary Music of Remembrance will give the world premiere of “Before It All Goes Dark,” a new opera by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer. The creative team based the opera on “Mac’s Journey,” the true story of Gerald “Mac” McDonald, a gravely ill and deeply troubled Vietnam War veteran, which was {…}
(Credit: Frances Marshall ) Music of Remembrance has received a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for its production of “Before It All Goes Dark.” The grant will support the commission, tour, and recording of the new opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer. “Before It All Goes Dark” is set to world premiere {…}
(Photo credits: Niebuhr, Steiner, Marshall Light Studio, © Chuck Thomas 2012) The National Opera Association’s 69th annual national conference is scheduled for Jan. 3-6, 2024 at in Tempe, Arizona. The conference kicks off with a performance of “Sanctuary and Storm” by Tawnie Olson and Roberta Barker, the winner of the 2023 Chamber Opera Competition. Jake Heggie will give the Keynote {…}
Photo: Michael Bishop Houston Grand Opera’s season premiere, “Intelligence,” is not just another opera to take in – it’s an experience to be absorbed. It masterfully fulfills art’s big-picture role: sparking dialogues and bridging emotional divides, even when the discussions are challenging and the ties seem broken. This riveting work is realized through the collective genius of composer Jake Heggie, {…}